Talking machine



Dec. 19, 1922. 1,439,533. J. F. SMITH.

TALKING MACHINE.

FILED 05c. 3. ms.

. means for sliding the Weight aLong the free 45 projccts.

Patented Dec. 19, 1922.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIGE.

JAMES. E. SMITH, OF ST: LOUIS, MISSQURI, ASSIGNQR. QB QNEI-THHED1 TANTHONY F.

IT'DNER AND ONE-THIRD Tflw ARTHUR E. BRABEEY, ROUTE OF ST. LGKI IS,MESSGU BI;

TALKING MACHINE.

Application'filed December 3, 1919.

T0 at whom it may cOncern:

Be it known that 1. JAMES F. SMITH, a citizen of the United States. anda resident V of the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri', haveinvented a new and useful Emprovement in Talking Machines, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to talking machines and has for its principalobjects to provide means for adjustin the weight of the overhangingportion or the tone arm with relation to the sound record whereby thedesired pressure of the stylus on the sound record may be obtained.Another object is to provide a flexible joint or connection between thetone arm and the main sound amplifying device that will permit universalmovement of the tone arm without permitting esca e of sound through thejoint. A fiirthe'r o ject is to improve the tone quality by providin thetone chamber with a sound-diffusing device. Further objects appear incon nection with the following description of the invention.

"i5 The lnvcntlon consists in the arranqements and combinations oi partshereinai ter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawin which f'orn'is part of this s ccihcation andwl erein to like svmbols refer to like parts herever the dccur dig l isa central vertical section taken 'through a portion of a talking machineshowing; my invention applied thereto, the

section'being taken lengthwise of the sound conduit;

Fig. 2 is avertical section crosswise of the sound'conduit, the sectionbeing taken on, the line 2-2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detail plan view showing the end of the lever arm; and

Fig. 4 is a. plan view oi the slotted late through which the weightactuating ever Referring lo the drawings, 5 iliulicatcs the top oi ata-llrin g, machine cabinet. 6 the turn tablc on which the sound recordT is mounted. Q the tone chamber and 9 the main sound '50 amplifierwhich leads from said chamber.

The tone arm ll is arraugwl tor easy lateral and vertical movement atits free end which has mountci thereon a sound box provided with twodiaphragnts. This sound box. which is of a well known mal-re. is pro-Serial No. 342,131. M

vided with three Styluses 12, 13 and 14, the desired stylus beingbrought into engagement with the sound record by manual rotation of thesound box. The diamond stylus 12 is connected" to, one of the diephragmsoi; the sound box and is adapted to be used with. a well known make ofrecord having per fendicularly undulating record grooves. e Styluses, l3and 14 are both connected to the other diaphragm of the 'cs sound box,the stylus 13 hevi a. ball tip adapted for records fiavingperpendlculfar-ly undulating record rooves and the stylus 14g having'a,sharp oint' for playing records having lhiteffi'l y undulatingwo recordgrooves.

The tone arm support which is, shown and described in my Patent No.1,30%,487, dated April 29, 1919, comprises on annular supp t g: acket15, which surrounds a. oircular opening 16 in the top of the cabinet,and is provided with a base flan, e adapted to be secured to the top. ofthe caiiinet' in any desired manner. Mounted on op ositeb d,isposedpiv0t$ 17 within the annuiitr supporting bracket 15, so to oscillateupon a. horizontal axis and permit vertical movement of the Free end ofthe tone arm, is a. ring 18 whicll rotatabl'y supports tlliei enlargedend. of the, tone arm and permits the some to swing laterally. The tonearm provided with an annular flange l9, and; beaming balls 20 are arraned in the supporting ring 18 above and be ow, the flange 19 to. reduce te friction between the rotating tone arm and the supporting ring. Ascrew ring 21 is threaded into the supporti ring 18 to retain theannular flange 19 o the tone arm therein.

filommunication between the tone arm 10 and the tone chamber 9 isestablished by means of a flexible tube '22. This tube is preferablymade of sheet rubber or other flexible material. The upper end of the(lcrdblc tube 2; is secured to the supporting: rim 18 by means of aspring clamping ring "2 and the lower cud ol' the tube is sleeved overan annular projection on the upper end ol' the sound chamber 9. A coilspring :H is positioned within the tube 2; to prevent the walls thereoffrom collapsing.

The upper portion of the tone chamber is provided with a sound diffusingdevice con1 prisino a series of vertically spaced screens f hcse screensmodi'l' the sound by eliminating harsh noises and act as tone puriuers.

A horizontally disposed lever arm 25 is iulerumed in a bracket 26secured to the under side of the top of the cabinet. This lever arm isarranged parallel with the Ion gitudinal axes of the oppositely disposedpivots if which pivotally support the tone arm supporting ring id. Theend of the short arm of the lever 25 is connected to the front portion01' the tone arm supporting ring 18 by means of a short link 27 whoseupper end is pivoted between spaced lugs or ears 28 which project fromthe under side of the ring 18. The lower end of the link 27 is pivotedto the end of the short arm of the lever 25. A weight 29 is slidablymounted on the free long arm of the lever and serves to counterbalancethe overhanging portion of the tone arm and the sound box mountedthereon.

The pressure of the stylus on the sound record may be varied by slidingthe weight 29 along the long arm of the lever 25 towards and away fromthe fulcrum of said lever. The movement of the weight along the leverarm is controlled from outside the cabinet by means of a hand lever 30which i fulcrumed in a slot 31 cut in the top of the cabinet. The upperend of the hand lever is provided with a. finger button and the lowerend is connected to the weight 29 by means of an extcndible linkcomprising two sections 32 and $33. The section 32 of the extendiblelink has one end secured to the lower end of the hand lever 30 and itsother end laps one end of the other section 33 whose other end ispivoted to the weight 29. and 33 of the extendible link are securedtogether by means of a pair of screws 34: which pass through a slot 35in the section 32 and are threaded into the other section 33. Thisarrangement permits the link to be lengthened or shortened and thuscontrol the length of the sliding movement of the weight on the free endof the lever 25. A. slotted plate 36 is fitted over the slot 31 in thetop of the cabinet and the hand lever 30 which projects therethrou halso rojects through the slot in the plate 36. he slot 31 in the top ofthe cabinet is made wide enough to permit the hand lever to movelengthwise of its pivot, and the Slot in the plate 36 is provided withtwo notches 37 and 39 adapted to receive the hand lever and hold thesame in either of its two adjusted positions.

With this arrangmnent. when it is desired to play records which requirea very slight pressure ot' the stylus thereon, the hand lever lid isturned on its pivot and moved lengthwise thereof into the notch -7 inthe plate 36. This action. by reason of the connection between the lowerend of the hand lng.

ably mounted on the other arm of said lever The lapped portions of thesections 32 lever and the sliding weight, causes the weight to slidealong the lever 25 in the direction of the bracket 26 in which the leverarm is pivoted. This causes the weight of the overhanging portion of thetone arm and the sound box to be more evenly balanced and permits thestylus to hear lightly on the record. \Vhen it is desired to playrecords which require a heavy pressure of the stylus thereon, the actionis reversed, the hand lever being turned in the opposite direction andmoved into the notch 38 in the plate 36. This causes the weight to bemoved away from the fulcrum point of the lever 25 and permits the stylusto hear more heavily on the record by reason of the increased weight ofthe tone arm and sound box. The pressure of the styluses 12,

l8 and 14 on the sound record may be adjusted by shortening orlengthening the extendible link. This arrangement also per inits theweight to be adjusted for use in connection with tone arms of differentweights.

The foregoing arrangement is considered only as an example and as theone best adapted to the tone arm shown in the draw- Therefore, I do notwish to be limited to the precise details or arrangement of parts shownin the drawing.

WVhat I claim is:

1. In a talking machine, the combination with a tone arm of a pivotallymounted supporting ring adapted to rotatably sup port said tone arm, alever fulcrumed on said machine and having one arm connected to saidsupporting ring, a weight movand means for shifting the weight alongsaid second mentioned arm for counterhaL,

ancing the weight of said tone arm.

2. In a talking machine, the combination of a tone arm, a supportingring mounted for oscillation upon a horizontal axis and connected tosaid supporting ring, a weight slidably mounted on the other arm of saidlever, and an operating lever connected to said weight for sliding thesame along said second mentioned arm of said lever.

3. In a talking machine, the combination of a pivotallv mounted tone armadapted to support a sound box at its true end. a lever hilt-ruined onsaid machine and having one arm operatively connected to said tone arm.a weight slidably mounted on the other arm of said lever. an operatinglever for sliding said weight along said second mentioned arm of saidleven and an extendible means connecting said operating lever to saidweight.

4. In a talking machine, the combination with a pivotally mounted tonearm of a lever fulcrumed on said machine and having one arm operativelyconnected to said tone arm, a weight slidably mounted on the other armof said lever, an operating lever for sliding said weight along saidsecond mentioned arm of said lever, and an extendible link connectingsaid operating lever to said weight whereby the distance between saidlever and said Weight may be varied.

In a talking machine comprising a cabinet, the combination with a tonearm pivotally mounted on said cabinet of a fulcrumed lever disposedentirely Within said cabinet and having one arm operatively connected tosaid tone arm, a Weight mounted on the other arm of said lever, andmeans extending outside of said cabinet l for sliding said Weight alongsaid second mentioned arm 01 said lever for counterbalancing the weightof said tone arm.

6. In a talking machine, the combination with a pivotally mounted tonearm of a lever fulrrumcd on said machine, and having one arm operativelyconnected to said tone arm, a weight mounted on the other arm of saidlever, means for sliding said Weight along said second mentioned arm ofsaid lever for counterbalaneing the weight of the tone arm, and meansfor varying the distance between said weight and the sliding meanstherefor.

Signed at St. Louis, Missouri, this 29th day of November, 1912).

JAMES F. SMLTH.

